Display sign construction



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. S. HART E AL DISPLAY SIGN CONSTRUCTION paw; 'xvm'wmm INVENTORS zaznSHazfim ATTORNEYS Wzu Wendelb V liller V /uau/ &

Nov. 24, 1970 Filed June 5. 1968 Nov. 24, 1970 w s, HART ETI'AL DISPLAY SIGN CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1968 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 01 fice 3,541,713 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,541,713 DISPLAY SIGN CONSTRUCTION William S. Hart, Commack, N.Y., and Wendell V. Miller,

Massillon, Ohio, assignors to The Massillon-Cleveland- Akron Sign Company, Massillon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 3, 1968, Ser. No. 734,003 Int. Cl. G09f 7/00 US. Cl. 40125 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The display sign construction has a heavy, fiat, plastic base member with adhesive mounting means on one extended fiat surface, and spaced, tubular sign mounting means projecting integrally from the other flat surface. A thin gauge, V-shaped, plastic material sign with two sign panels has its free edges at the open end of the V releasably interengaged with the spaced tubular mounting means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to a display sign especially useful for point-of-purchase advertising, which may be easily mounted on any available flat surface adjacent existing lighting fixtures. For example, the sign is particularly adapted to be mounted on a light fixture or canopy at an automobile service station. A flat under, upper or side surface of any fixture, structure, or building, adjacent a light may serve as the fixed member on which the display sign may be mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART V-shaped signs have been mounted on the tops of automobiles such as taxicabs, or for advertising conventions or special events. These signs have included metal fixtures, suction cups, metal fasteners, and straps and ten sioning devices for removably attaching the signs to the auto tops without injury to the tops. Lighting fixture shades for enclosing light bulbs have been remova'bly mounted on metal channel-shaped bases of the fixtures. Such fixtures in turn are mounted by bolts or screws engaged with the metal bases and the members on which the lighting fixtures are mounted. Temporary political campaign signs formed of paperboard have been mounted at desired locations by integral folded tabs or flanges provided with adhesive surfaces.

Such prior structures require metal bases or special hardware, etc. for removability of the structure or sign; and in those instances where no special fastening or mounting means is provided for temporary paperboard signs, such signs do not provide for ready change of the advertising or message displayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a display sign construction which enables a V-shaped sign with two sign panels to be removably mounted to project below, above or to one side of any flat surface of a building, structure, fixture or other permanent mounting member, preferably adjacent existing lighting means which thus may illuminate the sign; which may be permanently mounted on the permanent member without metal fixtures, hardware, etc.; which is adapted for ready change of the advertising or message displayed by the sign; which is effectively held in mounted position and may be readily installed without tools by any individual; and which eliminates difliculties heretofore encountered, achieves the 9 Claims stated objectives simply, effectively and inexpensively, and solves problems and satisfies needs existing in the art.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by the display sign construction, the general nature of which may be stated as including a heavy, fiat, preferably extruded, plastic base member having two surfaces and two side edges; a flexible, compressible, sponge-like cushion pad or sheet having opposed adhesive coated surfaces, one adhesive pad surface being adhesively secured to one fiat base surface, the other adhesive cushion surface being adapted for permanent adhesive mounting on the fiat surface of a member on which the sign is to be mounted; tubular sign mounting means projecting from the other flat base surface, the tubular means including a tubular member formed integrally with and extending along each side edge of the flat base and projecting from said other base surface, slot means formed in and extending longitudinally of the walls of each tubular member, and the slot means preferably including spaced flanges projecting from the tubular member Walls and defining with the passage through the tubular member a keyhole-shaped slot; a thin gauge preferably plastic sign member having two sign panels arranged in V-shape with edges of each panel joined at the V, and an offset corrugation formed in each panel adjacent and extending parallel with the free edge of such panel; the corrugated panel edges being adapted to be telescoped longitudinally of and engaged in the keyhole-shaped slots of the tubular sign mounting means; the panels preferably being embossed to form a frame for a message carried by the panel; and sign indicia displayed on the panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a side vew of the improved display sign construction mounted on a lighting fixture;

FIG. 2 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 22, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the sign as shown in FIG. 2 with parts broken away and in section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44, FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the elements of the sign;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 1 showing the improved display sign construction mounted on top of a structure such as a gasoline pump;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the sign mounted on the side wall of a canopy or roof overhang.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved sign construction generally indicated at 1 is shown in FIG. 1 mounted on a typical light fixture 2 supported on a pole 3 and used for illumination at a gasoline service station. Light fixtures of various types and kinds exist at such service stations and it is desirable to use such permanent fixtures for supporting and illuminating point-of-purchase advertising material, without requiring special sign mounting hardware or attaching means to bolt or clamp the sign to the fixture.

These considerations eliminate drilling holes in the fixture or pole which can weaken such members; and

such holes and metal hardware can be focal points for the occurrence of rust which the present concept eliminates.

Also it is desired that anyone can install the signs without special tools or skills; and that the signs or the advertising copy thereon can be easily removed or replaced for frequent change of the message displayed.

The improved sign 1 includes a base member 4 and a sign member 5 removably mounted on the base member 4. Base 4 is preferably formed as an extrusion of plastic material having a heavy, fiat base wall 6 with opposite flat surfaces 7 and 8 and side edges generally indicated at 9 (FIG. 3).

Base 4 is formed, integrally as the plastic member is extruded, with a special configuration at its side edges 9. Thus, rounded tubular portions 10 terminating in flange portions 11 and 12 are provided to form tubular sign mounting means projecting from the flat surface 7 of base 4. Flanges 11 and 12 are spaced apart to form a narrow slot 13 which communicates with the interior passage 14 formed by the tubular portions 10. Thus, members 10, 11, and 12 in cross section form a keyhole-shaped slot from end to end at each edge 9 of the base member 4.

A sponge-like sheet or pad 15 of cushion material is mounted on the fiat surface 8 of base 4 opposite the surface 7 from which the tubular sign mounting means project. Pad 15 is provided with adhesive material surfaces. One adhesive surface of pad 15 adheres to the flat base surface 8 and the other adhesive surface of pad 15 is protected by a peelable backing sheet 16.

Sign member 5 also is formed of thin gauge plastic sheet material formed or pressed to desired shape or configuration. Member 5 has two sign panels 17 and 18 arranged in V-shape (FIGS. 3 and 5) with the lower edges of the panels 17 and 18 joined by a rounded bead 19 at the point of the V. A corrugation 20 is formed in each panel 17 and 18 adjacent and extending parallel with the free edge 21 of each panel 17 and 18.

The corrugated panel edges 20-21 of the panels 17 and 18 may be telescoped longitudinally of and engaged in the keyhole-shaped slots 13-14 formed by members 10, 11, and 12 of the tubular sign mounting means, to mount or support sign member 5 on base member 4.

Each panel 17 and 18 preferably has a projecting frame-like configuration 22 embossed therein. Frame 22 thus outlines or borders any messages carried by or presented by the sign panels 17 and 18. The sign indicia presenting the message or advertisement may be printed on panels .17 and 18 Within frame 22, or such indicia may be embossed therein. Whenever it is desired to change the message, a new sign member 5 may replace the previous one simply by disengaging the corrugated edges 20-21 of the old sign 5 from the keyhole-shaped slots 13-14 and assembling a new sign 5 in the manner described.

In the alternative, as shown in FIG. 5, the message or advertisement may be printed on overlay sheets 23 which may be mounted on the panels 17 and 18 within frames 22 with adhesive, paste, glue or other adherent material. Thus, the message may be quickly changed by changing the over-lay sheets 23; and such changes can be easily made by temporarily removing sign 5 from base 4.

The ends of the V-shaped sign member 5 preferably are closed by flanged, triangular cap members 24. Caps 24 may be quickly attached to sign member 5 at the ends of panels 17 and 18 by headed paper fasteners 25 and Washers 26 engaged in holes 27 and 28 formed respectively in panels 17 and 18 and in caps 24.

The improved sign construction may be quickly installed without special tools or hardware by any person. Installation may involve mounting the sign as shown in FIG. 1 with the sign extending downward from the fiat undersurface 29 of light fixture 2. The sign also may be installed as a pump topper as in FIG. 6 where the sign 1 projects upward from the pump 30 being mounted on the fiat top surface 31 of the pump 30. Also the sign may be mounted on the fiat side surface 32 of a building or canopy as indicated in FIG. 7.

Regardless of the type of installation, as in FIGS. 1, 6, or 7, the flat surface is prepared in a usual manner to receive an adhesively coated member, the backing sheet 16 is peeled from the adhesive pad 15 and the pad and base member 4 are pressed against the fixed flat surface on which the sign is to be mounted. Then the end caps 24 are secured to the sign member 5 and member 5 is telescopically received by and mounted on the tubular sign mounting means.

In the preferred installation of FIGS. 1 and 2, the light bulbs 33 of light fixture 2 illuminate both panels 17 and 18 of the sign member. The V-shape of sign member 5, which is overhead or above eye level, aids in sign visibility (FIGS. 1 and 2) because the panels 17 and 18 are directed downward at an angle. The sign 1 although illuminated by the bulbs 33 of light fixture 2 does not appreciably cut down the lighting efiiciency of the light fixture for the area lighted thereby.

The cushioned adhesive pad 15 which is coextensive with the flat surfaces of the base 4 and the surface 29, 31, or 32 on which the sign is mounted enables a good bond to be established because the cushioning compensates for inaccuracies or unevenness of either of the surfaces. This adhesive pad may be formed of standard products on the market such as Scotch mount Bonding Tape or A; inch Tufmount RV PS/PS a product of Girder Process of East Rutherford, NJ.

The improved construction is very simple and provides a sturdy sign construction which may be readily mounted on existing buildings or supports without alteration or special hardware or special tools or special skills; provides a structure which eliminates difficulties encountered with prior devices; provides a sign which has permanently mounted portions and readily removable and replaceable portions; and provides a construction which achieves the objectives stated and solves existing problems in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved sign is constructed and used, the characteristics of the new construction, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, and mechanical equivalents obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Display sign construction including a heavy, flat, plastic material base member having two surfaces and two side edges; flexible cushion pad adhesive mounting means on one base surface extending substantially throughout the extent of said one base surface; spaced tubular sign mounting means projecting integrally downwardly from the other base surface and having longitudinal slot means at the bottom; a thin gauge plastic sign member having two sign panels arranged in V-shape with edges of each panel joined at the V; and each panel having an upwardly disposed free edge at the open end of the V having a longitudinal corrugation therein spaced from its free edge releasably interengaged with one of the spaced tubular sign mounting means.

2. The sign construction defined in claim 1 in which the base member and its integral tubular sign mounting means comprise an extruded plastic member element.

3. The sign construction defined in claim 1 in which the cushion pad means comprises a sponge-like compres- 5 sible sheet having opposed adhesive coated surfaces, one of which is bonded substantially throughout the extent of the one base surface to such surface, and the other cushion pad surface being adapted to be adhesively bonded permanently to a flat support structure surface on which the display sign is to be mounted.

4. The sign construction defined in claim 1 in which the tubular sign mounting means include walls forming a substantially circular tubular member extending downwardly along and forming a rounded edge for each side edge of the flat base member.

5. The sign construction defined in claim 4 in which the slot means includes spaced flanges projecting downward from the tubular member walls and defining with the passage formed by such tubular member a keyholeshaped slot.

6. The sign construction defined in claim 1 in which an embossed frame-like formation projects from each sign panel to define a sign indicia containing area.

7. The sign construction defined in claim 6 in which sign indicia means are displayed on each panel within the frame-like formation.

8. The sign construction defined in claim 7 in which the sign indicia means are removably mounted on each display panel.

9. The sign construction defined in claim 1 in which the cushion pad mounting means on the base surface is adhesively bonded to a flat undersurface of a light fixture adjacent light means carried by the light fixture.

References Cited EUGENE P. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner 0 R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner 

